Viacom's (VIAB) Paramount Pictures may be making a huge mistake with Transformers: Age of Extinction, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
In a recent interview with the good folks at Nerdist, actor Titus Welliver, who stars in the film, said that Transformers: Age of Extinction offers a "darker version of the Transformers world." He also said it's "not a kids movie." Seriously?
Believe it or not, yes. Age of Extinction isn't yet rated despite entering post-production, which at least suggests that, in its current cut, the film is violent enough to be within spitting distance of an "R" rating. Tim says that would be a huge mistake.
Not only would it hurt at the box office -- R-rated films don't draw as widely as PG-13 movies, in most cases -- but excluding young kids could also damage a tremendously valuable merchandising brand. In 2011, Hasbro (HAS -1.52%) inked deals with 325 partners to deliver product into retail stores in time for Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Similar efforts are presumably under way for Age of Extinction, which features an old favorite called the Dinobots. Yet Tim says it's unlikely that 17-year-olds will be as excited about Transformers toys and shirts as the wide-eyed youngsters who handed over allowance money for merchandise tied to the earlier films.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. What do you hope to see in Transformers: Age of Extinction? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand, and whether you would buy, sell, or short Viacom stock at current prices.
